A couple of reviews that go some way to explain why I considered this documentary, particularly given the current climate regarding social networks, both fascinating and a must watch.
Last night I had the opportunity to watch the new documentary called ‘talhotblond’. I was not sure what I would make of the movie but needless to say if you were not told it was a documentary you would think this story was completely made up.
When the girl known by the screen name “talhotblond” discovers that she’s been lied to by one of her online beaus, she wants revenge and unleashes a fantasy online that escalates into real life murder…all because of a girl no one ever met in person. The critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentary draws from exclusive access to Internet messages, secret notes and letters, as well as police evidence files and exclusive interviews, to detail the horrific results of what can happen when people lie online.
Talhotblond plays out like a bad romance novel with an older man praying on an EXTREMELY hot young girl only for the girl to discover that her young male friend on the internet
that she not only loves but is now engaged to ( despite never meeting him ) is actually a 47year old male. As much as a twist as this is this is only but one small ripple in the timeline of this truly insane story. The entire documentary is a twisted tale of seduction, love, love lost, violence and eventually death. The victims are piled high in this movie and it has the kind of twists that are sure to make you shake your head in disbelief.
Clearly I do not want to spoil this entire sordid affair so I will leave it at this. Talhotblond is a disturbing and twisted look at society and online internet dating and predators with more twists then any fictional crime thriller I have ever seen. Its the kind of documentary that will educate you on the perils of the internet and leave you with no less then three holy crap moments.
Talhotblond is an interesting and moving story that will make you sit up in shock, groan in disgust and maybe even tear a bit in sympathy. Moving, tragic and emotional Talhotblond is a fantastic documentary that if you like docs you will definitely want to see.source~ ~ ~
Talhotblond is the kind of story that you would think could only be manufactured in a Hollywood pitch meeting: An internet love triangle that ultimately spirals out of control and results in a brutal murder. It’s a story filled with love, passion, deceit, rage, and violence. You can practically see studio executives foaming at the mouth while the pitchman delivers the goods. The scary thing is that this particular story isn’t fiction.
Talhotblond is the terrifyingly true story about the worst that can happen if you develop relationships with strangers on the internet. The documentary, directed by Emmy award winning journalist Barbara Schroeder, was the winner of the Seattle International Film Festival’s Best Documentary Grand Jury Award in 2009. My full review after the jump:
Talhotblond tells the story of a beautiful high school student named Jessi (screen name: Talhotblond) who falls in love with Tommy (screen name: Marinesniper), the young Marine she meets in an online chat room. It’s the perfect fairytale. That is, until Jessi finds out that Tommy is really 47-year-old Thomas Montgomery, an unhappily married man. After this revelation, Jessi seeks both comfort and revenge through 22 year-old Brian Barrett, a co-worker of Montgomery’s. The love triangle cultivates through a series of online discussions between the three. Despite the fact that neither man actually ever meets Jessi, serious jealousy and rage ultimately lead Montgomery to murder Barrett.
The story is certainly an intriguing one. The film, well…not as intriguing. Schroeder uses the late Barrett’s point of view to tell the story. It’s an interesting choice, but a difficult method of storytelling because no one can actually know what Barrett was thinking throughout the evolution of this tragedy. This method of narration takes what is an already engrossing true story and adds an unnecessary layer of fiction on top of it. Along with Barrett’s voiceover, Schroeder uses numerous chat logs between Talhotblond, marinesniper, and Beefcake (Barrett) to move the story forward, which ends up making the film just seem like an extended episode of Dateline’s To Catch a Predator. Schroeder uses commentary from Erie County officials, as well as from clinical psychologist, Dr. Rex Julian Beaber, for further insight into why everyone involved acted the way they did in this particular situation.
Highlights of the documentary include in depth interviews with convicted murderer, Montgomery, Barrett’s parents, and with Jessi’s father, Tim Shieler. Montgomery seems remorseful, but ultimately feels that Jessi was equally at fault for driving him to commit such a terrible crime. Shieler is genuine in how horrified he was to find out what was going on without his knowledge. He provides a layer of sympathy as someone who, although unaware and clueless about what was going on, will forever be affected by the final result. source
Some short time ago I wrote these words about HBO's Deadwood and the television series Boston Legal.
Every now and then, in the entertainment field, a little gem comes out of America. Only two shows in the last twenty years would I consider worthy of the "Gem" tag.
Yesterday evening I watched, and though albeit fact not fiction, another Gem, the documentary Talhotblond.
Not wanting to be a spoiler, I shall not say too much about the thing, but I will say, an absolutely must watch.
Try not to spoil it for yourself by reading the full story, but as you Google talhotblonde, options will appear for files, torrents or streams, choose which ever suits you best, but whatever, watch it do.
Talhotblonde
This is the true story of a love triangle that takes place entirely online. Lies lead to murder in real life, as a teenage vixen (screen name 'talhotblond') lures men into her web. Revealing a shocking true crime story that shows the Internet's power to unleash our most dangerous fantasies.
